In the wake of founding the newest initiative at the University of Aberdeen, Just the Tip: HIV Awareness, I had the opportunity to chat with Jamie Gellatly about the critical importance of HIV care in the UK, the impactful work his society is doing, and how each of us can play a role in the fight to end HIV.
Inspired by an internship at a HIV clinic operated by the Terrence Higgins Trust in Dundee, Jamie is committed to cultivating what he believes is essential in the fight to end HIV: an aware society. With his new initiative, Just the Tip, Jamie is starting with the University of Aberdeen, where he is creating a vibrant community dedicated to educating students while raising funds to support HIV treatment and prevention efforts.
Just the Tip was founded against a tumultuous backdrop; HIV has been making global headlines in the past year, despite many holding the mistaken belief that it is a threat of the past. After years of steady decline, a new HIV epidemic is now unfolding in South Africa and the Pacific region, particularly Fiji. The causes of this epidemic are a worrying mix of unsafe sex, needle-sharing, and bluetoothing – a new, cheap high involving sharing blood between users. Tragically, this international disaster of new, non-birth cases is primarily affecting younger generations, with children as young as ten years old becoming victims.
Concurrently, America has cut significant programmes aimed at preventing and curing HIV. Alarmingly, less than a year on, the previously steady decline of new cases has faltered; in fact, the long-term implications of these cuts project 10.8 million extra infections and 2.9 million extra deaths by 2030, despite HIV being a preventable disease. These stark statistics are a sharp reminder of how quickly the tide can turn, and if we ignore the importance of awareness or programmes which research and help prevent HIV, we risk creating the perfect storm.
Fiji and America aren’t the only places where HIV misconceptions and unawareness are prevalent, though. Just the Tip is already actively working to dispel HIV misinformation, and Jamie is clearly driven in this mission. He quickly describes some of the common yet disconcerting misconceptions he has encountered, including on our campus. For example, the belief that HIV is ‘a gay issue’ has stubbornly persisted since the HIV/AIDs epidemic of the 1980s, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands globally, with homophobia, stigma and ignorance fuelling the high death rate and systemic mistreatment of gay men. Jamie quickly highlights the fallacy of this, explaining how, in Scotland in 2022, 42% of all new HIV diagnoses were heterosexual. He believes that dispelling the idea that only some pockets of society can catch HIV is crucial: “When people think an issue doesn’t apply to them, they’re not taking the necessary safety precautions”.
“It’s not a gay issue; anyone can have it. There are groups of people who are more vulnerable to getting it… But the idea that it’s only gay people who get this is extremely outdated.”
That’s not the only misconception that worries Jamie. The taboo surrounding HIV has meant that people aren’t being educated in how to protect themselves from HIV, and aren’t getting tested. And this is extending into healthcare settings. Two of the most significant scientific advancements in HIV prevention are Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). Both are available from sexual health clinics, for free, to anyone. PrEP is a medication that can be taken daily (by people with a higher risk of infection) or two hours before potential exposure to significantly reduce the chance of infection. On the other hand, PEP serves as an emergency measure, providing a lifeline for people who may have been exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours; it is also available from A&E. There is also an injection which, if taken every other month, can be used as an alternative to daily pills. However, despite the injection being available on the Scottish NHS since February, it is still relatively unknown and underutilised.
Jamie expands on this accessibility barrier, highlighting how “PrEP and PEP need to be suggested more in healthcare settings”. Even healthcare professionals are not recommending these life-saving drugs to people who may not fit the stereotypes of being HIV vulnerable, but are still at risk. The lack of communication around HIV is currently the biggest obstacle to these drugs delivering to their potential.
“The most dangerous aspect of HIV is not talking about it.
It’s not the HIV itself. It is the stigma and taboo surrounding it.”
This stigma and the lack of conversation surrounding HIV are also preventing people from getting tested and therefore receiving treatment. Without treatment, HIV can open the gateway for AIDs (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), which is often fatal. Because of this, it’s crucial that anyone who feels they may be at risk of exposure (for example, due to unsafe sex, sex with new partners or drug use) get tested regularly, ideally every three months. Currently, it is estimated that around 5,200 people are living undiagnosed with HIV in the UK. Despite this, the Terrence Higgins Clinic, where Jamie interned in Dundee, has been closed due to a lack of funding. Jamie recalls how the clinic was a lifeline to many people who were too ashamed or scared to go elsewhere. When asked if he thinks the clinic closure will have resulted in people no longer getting the potentially life-saving testing they need, his frustration and sadness shine through.
“I wouldn’t be surprised.
I can’t imagine that they would have reached out to another service just because of how much it took to go to that one. So now people aren’t getting tested, they don’t know their status, and they could be passing HIV on to other people.
It’s a really sad thing that funding was cut.”
The stigma of HIV can be even more deadly when coupled with the shame that often accompanies a sexual assault. As Jamie pointedly notes, “The taboo and shame around these incidents [spiking and sexual assaults] often prevent individuals from seeking the care they need,” which can lead to untreated HIV and a cycle of silence. Many victims, unaware of the available resources such as PEP or support, suffer in isolation, compounding their trauma and risking their physical health. “We need open communication among friends,” Jamie emphasises. Just the Tip hopes to bring this to campus: a platform for open, inclusive conversations about HIV to break the current silence while raising funds and awareness of HIV resources.
“This is something none of us are being educated on enough…lack of education [in itself] is a killer.”
The Terrence Higgins Trust is a charity that funds research for HIV and works tirelessly to spread awareness. It is one of the main charities Just the Tip will be raising money and awareness for throughout the year. They have lots of resources available through the website, which everyone needs to be aware of: free testing (delivered discreetly to your door) for those vulnerable to HIV, a community forum for people living with HIV and online counselling for people who are newly diagnosed. Just the Tip will also be collaborating with CASE on a workshop in November to teach everyone how to correctly self-test, the importance of knowing your status, and how conversations with potential partners about consent, status and protection are vital for safe-sex, no matter how awkward that moment can feel.
This is the kind of advice Jamie reiterated throughout our conversation: HIV can affect everyone, so everyone needs to know how to protect themselves and be included in comfortable, safe conversations about HIV. And that’s where Just the Tip comes in, for every Aberdeen Student.
“A big part of what we are doing is trying to reduce the taboo on campus. Even with the name, we’re not taking ourselves too seriously. We were trying to add a little bit of humour so that it feels like an easier conversation for people to have.
We are quite a small society… so we’re familiar; we’re people that you can come and talk to.
I don’t believe in stupid questions…we’re more than willing to have any conversation”
Scotland has an ambitious plan to end all new HIV cases by 2030, and steps are already being taken to reach this target. For example, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is now the first A&E in the country to offer routine HIV and Hepatitis testing, meaning any patient getting blood tests will be tested unless they opt out; a fantastic new initiative which resulted in 25 previously undiagnosed blood-borne illnesses being identified in its trial year. However, there is still a long way to go, and with testing numbers in 18-25 year-olds falling, it’s clear that younger voices are a key piece of the puzzle. Jamie explains why initiatives like Just the Tip, which are focused on educating students, fostering a sense of community, and creating a safe space for intimate conversations, are so important in this challenge.
“When it comes to any big change, we need to be hearing the voices of young people because that’s who’s going to be affected.
However, we need to spread awareness and knowledge on campuses and educate our students so that when their voices are heard, they’re giving insightful opinions.
Educate the voices that you’re going to listen to.”
Despite being in its infancy, Just the Tip already has a full roster of events in the works, including bake sales, socials, workshops, and a week of events for World Aids Day to raise awareness. They are also dedicated to raising money throughout the year to help fund HIV research and resources, such as those provided by Terrence Higgins and the Elton John Foundation. As Jamie talks me through the plans, it is evident that Just the Tip is ready to start breaking down the barriers surrounding HIV awareness, and that there will be many opportunities for everyone to get involved.
Just the Tip’s clear commitment to arming every student with the knowledge they need to keep themselves and society safe is an invaluable quality that is at the heart of the initiative, something clear as we wrap up our conversation with Jamie’s final advice for all:
“Get tested. It’s such a quick and easy thing to do, and it’s empowering knowing your status.
It’s so easy to do it.
Just test.”
Just the Tip is more than just a new university society; it’s a movement towards creating an informed campus that, in an age where knowledge is power, if we all join, could be the beginning of the end for HIV.